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Doctors Strike: LASG Clarifies Reduction Of Doctors Allowance

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0

By Akinwale Kasali

The Lagos State Government has made clarifications on the decision of the National Association of Residents Doctors, NARD, to call out doctors to a strike action beginning from Monday, 2nd August, 2021.

At the National Executive Committee Meeting of NARD held on July 30th, 2021 in Umuahia, Abia State, NARD stated part of its grievances to be the alleged purported directive by  the Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Special Duties, to reduce the monthly payment of NYSC Doctors from N75,000 to N15,000, effective July 2021. The association frowned at that.

But the Lagos State Government on Sunday, August 1,  said   the information at the disposal of NARD was false and misleading.

Ajibola Ponnle, reacting on behalf of the Lagos State Government said that the decision of NARD to go on strike is hasty.

A statement by LASG reads in part:  “We, therefore, appeal for restraint by the Lagos Chapter of the Association of Resident Doctors and Nigerian Medical Association, urging them to wait for the conclusion of these engagements”.

Ponnle added that the resolutions reached at the 42nd National Council on Establishments (NCE) Meeting held in Lagos on Monday, 30th November – Friday, 4th December, 2020, necessitated the issuance of a circular by the Head of Service of Lagos State, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, to communicate the decision taken at the Federal level to public servants in Lagos as regards a directive whereby Internship Programmes/Houseman-ship/NYSC Doctors in the Public Service should no longer attract Grade Levels in the Salary Structure as the programmes form part of the training.

She stressed that the State Government, through the Ministry of Establishments, Training and Pensions, will hold a stakeholders’ consultative meeting in the coming week on the implications of the decision taken by the National Council of Establishments on Internship, Housemanship and NYSC Doctors in the Civil/Public Service, which prompted this action.

It, however, added that Governor Sanwo-Olu remains committed to the welfare of Lagos State Government employees, particularly the health workers who have showed commitment, bravery and resilience in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Muhammed’s Story As A Fine Officer and Doting Father

By
Bayo Bernard
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0

By Bayo Bernard

As he gives out his two beautiful daughters Dr. Zainab and Jidda Mohammed in marriage, this weekend in Kano, Muhammed Uba Garba, the Assistant Comptroller General, ACG and Zonal coordinator Zone B, Kaduna Northwest will prove the time-worn anecdote, that you can’t be a successful man except you are a successful father.

For many years the customs’ top notch paid his dues in the NCS without letting his bosses in Abuja down; and as a reward for his dedicated service to his fatherland and mankind, the NCS management also ensured that he was compensated with promotions, as well as moving him from one customs formation to the other, and in such occasions, he never disappointed his superiors who have placed so much confidence in him.

And when President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Col. Hamid Ali (rtd) as the Comptroller General of the NCS, the former military administrator of Kaduna state quickly spotted the sterling qualities of the then Assistant Comptroller of Customs.

Since then, the no-nonsense customs’ boss has not stopped instituting him with higher responsibilities, that saw Uba traversed strategic customs formations across the country.

From FOU, Zone A, Ikeja Lagos, to Seme Customs command, and later as Commander, Joint Border Operations Drill, North Central Zone, Sector, 3 in Ilorin, Kwara State, to the NCS headquarters in Abuja, where he held the strategic position as ACG E, I&I,  officers and other stakeholders testified that Muhammed, did not disappoint in terms of carrying out, in strict compliance, the transformation agenda of the CGC in line with President Buhari’s change mantra of making the Service a corrupt free agency, as well as a veritable tool of generating huge revenues into the federation account.

While at the headquarters, he observed that quarter was not being conducted; he also brought to life the monthly CGC and weekly for members which further earned him the admiration of his boss, who did not waste time to send him to Zone B, Kaduna as Coordinator “to put things, which has been in shambles in the zone, in proper manner. That’s what he has been doing since he arrived at his new post, without complaining. Wherever duty calls ACG Mohammed is ready to go”, a top customs’ source told the magazine.

Indeed, it’s not usually easy to combine the very challenging job of a customs’ officer with the ever-demanding home front. That’s where many, who could not cope with multi-tasking official duties with home challenges, failed uncontrollably without redemption; disappointing their loved ones and those who look up to them for direction.

That, obviously, is not the case with ACG Muhammed who has shown himself to be a shining example as a successful officer, and a proud father and husband in the home front. The lanky officer has ensured that he gave unto Cesar what rightly belonged to Cesar, by creating a balance in his role as a public servant and as a loving patriarch to his family.

Zainab and Jidda, whose hands will be given in marriage to their heartthrobs, this weekend can testify to the father figure ACG Muhammed has played in their lives. Apart from giving them the best education (both studied at the prestigious University of Science and Technology Cairo, Egypt) Mohammed ensured that all his children never lacked good moral upbringing, to fulfil the popular saying, that ‘train your child in the way he/she should go so that she/ he will not depart from it.”

ACG Mohammed is indeed, a lucky man, even though he has always adduced his success to God, the giver of life and the only One who can lift a nobody to become somebody. But the compelling success story of Mohammed as an officer and a family man will not be complete without the rank and file and superior customs officers who at every point in his career cooperated with him, ensuring that he did not fall into the booby trap of his traducers, and making sure that the proverbial banana peel did not end his career prematurely.

Mohammed understands that success begets success, and because a single tree does not make a forest, he has also ensured that people who aspire to climb the ladder of success are assisted to achieve their dreams.

These men and women, top officers, rank and file of the NCS, crème of the Nigerian society are the ones that will storm Kano this weekend to celebrate ACG Mohammed as a doting father of two beautiful daughters who will be joined with their future husbands. May the Almighty God bless the new couples.

 

 

 

Nigerian Doctors Carry The Mentality Of Mortuary Attendants – NIJ Deputy Provost; LASG Wades Into His Wife’s Death

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0
Omojuyigbe Mrs

By Akinwale Kasali

Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has set up a Committee to Investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the Wife of the Deputy Provost of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism,NIJ, Dr. Dele Omojuyigbe.

Omojuyigbe had last week  narrated, in a heart-wrenching article,  the manner his wife died, following the non availability of bed space in both Federal and State Government hospitals in the State.

The erudite scholar wept as he narrated his ordeal in the hospitals visited which finally led to the death of his Wife as they drove towards a Private hospital at Alimosho Local Government.

Media outcry greeted the death of the award-winninh retired Secondary School Principal as Nigerians questioned the state of health facilities in the Lagos State. The outcry apparently forced the government to wade into the matter.

In another write-up explaining how the Lagos State Commissioner of Health and the State Government addressed the situation, Omojuyigbe said he has been contacted to give an account of the pathetic situation that led to his wife’s death.

The piece titled, “Matters Arising”, Omojuyigbe gave a detailed account of what happened after the demise of his amiable wife.

“Following the circumstances surrounding my wife’s death on July 9, 2021, Health Commissioner in Lagos State, Professor Akin Abayomi, I was informed, ordered an immediate investigation into the matter. I am most grateful to him. The laudable step reduced the pain in the heart. It is the most potent balm of the moment.

“A female official (name withheld) from the Health Ministry spoke with me twice in two days. She assured me that whatever information was gathered would assist the Ministry to make things work better in Lagos hospitals. That’s gratifying! It is all I want.

“My wife wouldn’t ask for more. She wouldn’t want anyone sanctioned for her sake.

“However, without prejudice to the investigation and without preempting its outcome, I am persuaded that my opinion in the matter counts. I narrated to the official of the Health Ministry only what happened when my wife was sick; not my deductions from the experience. Five public hospitals owned by both the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government were connected – Alimosho General Hospital, Igando; Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja; Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Ebute Metta; Military Hospital, Yaba; and Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi-Araba. Here are my observations:

  1. GENERAL HOSPITAL, IGANDO: This hospital has an obnoxious rule which must be abolished. On July 6, 2021, I had taken my wife to the hospital in company of my son and my elder brother. We had travelled and so, we arrived in the hospital late – about 11pm – because it rained heavily and traffic was much. We were tired and my wife was the most tired because she was sick. The moment I mentioned to the doctor on duty that my wife had bed sore and was weak, he refused to admit her, assuming that my wife was diabetic. That’s nonsense!

“He told us that it was a rule in the hospital not to admit any patient with a wound. A public hospital! We challenged the obnoxious rule angrily but another doctor came to deny it, indirectly. They suggested we go to Isolo General Hospital or FMC, Ebute Metta, as Igando lacked an expert to treat the assumed diabetes. We had to go to a private hospital that night. We got there about 1 am. My wife’s sickness had nothing to do with diabetes.

  1. LASUTH: LASUTH should be more caring. Getting to the Emergency Unit of the hospital on July 9, 2021, I expected that my wife would be attended to first before asking me to go and pay for card. Not so! It was card first! I paid N500 for card and waited for her to be moved to the ward. ‘No space’ was what I heard from the doctor without blinking. The unit knew that there was no space, yet they wasted my time going to the card section when my wife lay helpless in the car.

“Looking at the distance between LASUTH and FMC, Ebute Metta, I asked the doctor how I could sustain my wife to reach FMC. Indifferently, he told me to buy drugs at the chemist and give her on the way. Such callousness! How do I give drugs to a patient in coma who had been on oxygen?

“When we were leaving, he withheld the original referral note I had brought from the private hospital and wrote a scanty one for me. Possibly he did that in error. That gave me problem at FMC and Military Hospital. Doctors there didn’t see what was wrong with my wife in the new note. They kept asking for the original referral note. The LASUTH doctor ought to attach the comprehensive one which I took there to the new one he wrote.

“3. FMC: The hospital was okay. They were quick and humane. They didn’t ask me to register first. The FG should provide more space for them, especially in the Emergency Section.

“4. MILITARY HOSPITAL: The doctor I met in the hospital responded promptly but the hospital lacked ICU. I wonder how a military hospital doesn’t have an ICU. The FG should provide ICU there, urgently, to save people’s lives.

“5. LUTH: LUTH too did well by quickly coming out to examine my wife first without demanding a Registration Card. But why should the doctor say that it was against the ethic of her profession to treat a patient in the car when there was no space in the ward? I suppose medical ethic is meant to save lives and not fashioned after pretentious Pharisees’ laws! The doctor must be glad that my wife finally passed on. Her medical ethic was protected after all!

“If I may ask, who owns that alternative accommodation called Spill Over Building in LUTH? The building is adjacent to the Emergency Unit building and should belong to the FG. Why is it contracted out to a private organisation? The building spins blood money. LUTH should take it back for the people.

“6. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:  Many emergency cases in Nigerian hospitals at the moment are a direct journey to heaven. There should be a way to attend to emergency patients even when there is no space in the ward. Nevertheless, the government should make it an urgent point of duty to build more facilities in the hospitals.

“Many doctors work under undue pressure and are frustrated; the government should pay attention to their demands. They are overworked; I noticed that. I could understand the reason some of them have lost their humanity; they carry the mentality of mortuary attendants who care less whether someone dies or lives. I met about a score doctors during my wife’s last moments; only five of them were human beings. The government can help the system by treating doctors well and employing more of them”, Omojuyigbe concluded.

Nigerians eagerly await the conclusion of the investigation to be carried out by the LASG, with appropriate measures taken to forestall future occurrence.

Federal Roads: FG Pays Over N140bn To States

By
Bayo Bernard
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0

By James Orji

The federal government says it will reimburse state governments for the renovation of Federal government owned roads in the country. The Buhari administration disclosed this after the Minister of State for Works and Housing, Abubakar Aliyu, said fives states have been refunded N143 billion so far for constructing federal roads.

The minister stated this during a courtesy call to Governor of Kebbi state Abubakar Atiku Bagudu. According to him “Out of the total distance of roads we have across the country, 34,000 kms are under the jurisdiction of the federal government out of which we are currently working on over 13,000 kms simultaneously with over 800 contracts currently ongoing.

“Before now, some states may find it extremely necessary, because of urgency, to approach the federal government to seek permission to construct federal roads that are within their states. The federal government will give them the permission and they will be reimbursed later.

He explained the Federal Executive Council, FEC set up a committee to verify and clear road construction executed by some state governments since 2016.

Bagudu “The committee was headed by the Minister of Works and Housing, Hon. Babatunde Raji Fashola, and was able to clear and verify 25 states that built federal government roads in their states.

He said efforts are being made to clear the backlog of funds owed state in this regard.

“As I am talking to you, by tomorrow, the Hon. Minister of Works and Housing will be in Yobe State to ascertain and verify their road construction, while the Hon. Minister of Education will be in Taraba to do a similar job.

“That’s why I am here together with my team today, the secretariat is domiciled in the SGF’s office and that’s why you see me with the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office, to come and verify the two roads as requested,” the minister said.

Kyari: Banire Says Indictment A Disgrace, Dent On Nigeria’s Image

By
The Source
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Muiz Banire

By Akinwale Kasali

Former All Progressives Congress, APC, National Legal Adviser Muiz Banire, SAN, has expressed his disappointment over the indictment of Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari by the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI.

Kyari was indicted over his alleged involvement in a $1.1 million bribe given to him by international cybercrime fraudster, Ramon Igbalode, known as Hushpuppi. The bribe was, allegedly given to influence Kyari arrest and detention of a fraud associate of Huspuppi’s  Chibuzor Kelly Vincent who Hushpuppi told Kyari betrayed him in one of their fraudulent businesses.

On the recommendation of the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba,  the Police Service Commission has suspended  Kyari from work. An investigation panel has also been set up to investigate the damning allegations against Kyari.

Speaking on Channels Television, Banire described the indictment  of Kyari, in the case of international fraud, as a dent on the image of the country.

The former Lagos State Commissioner said the sad incident has reduced Nigeria to a laughing stock among the Comity of Nations.

“It is disheartening for a top Cop to be indicted for fraud. It is disgraceful and a shameful act”, he said.

Kyari’s suspension took effect from July 31 and would subsist pending the outcome of the investigation in respect to his indictment by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States.

According to documents unsealed last week in the US, Kyari had arrested and jailed one Chibuzo Vincent, at the behest of Hushpuppi.

He also allegedly sent Hushpuppi bank account details to deposit money for Vincent’s arrest and imprisonment.

Access Bank’s Benevolent Train Moves To The Deaf

By
Bayo Bernard
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0

By Tosin Olatokunbo

The benevolent train of the Herbert Wigwe-led Access Bank Plc has moved to Mowe, a suburb of Lagos, to deliver goodies to the sometimes, forgotten citizens of the society, the deaf.

For more than 11 years the Ajofa Special Education Foundation for the Deaf searched for help for the renovation of their school, but no one responded until Access Bank intervened and put an end to the quagmire.

The gesture, the bank said is part of its community social responsibility, CSR to the Nigerian people.

Before putting smiles on the faces of the deaf students, the tier 1 deposit money bank had earlier renovated the dilapidated Information Technology Centre and provided computers and accessories for Ikosi Primary School – Ketu, Lagos, Nigeria, which benefitted over 1,000 students.

While handing over the project to the community, Access Bank Executive Director, Business Banking Division, Chizoma Okoli, said the project was completed within two years, and in line with the bank’s goals of rendering giving back to the society.

He said the school was in a very shambolic state before the bank took the bull by the horns.

According to him, “We are proud to be identified with this project which falls in our agenda to touch lives, reach out to the needy and show love. This particular project is from the business banking team of Access Bank as part of our own corporate social responsibility. Our attention was brought to this thanks to the Lebanese Women Society. This project took us two years because of the very deplorable state we met it in.

“The children were sleeping in rooms without roofs; there was no water, the entire building was in shambles. We have reconstructed the school and its dormitories, provided the foundation with a borehole and water treatment plant, books, a generating set and a new HP desktop computer with printing facilities.

The proprietor of the school, Francis Ajomiwe, said the bank came to the rescue at the appropriate time as the school had already lost hope.

He expressed gratitude to the bank for a promised fulfilled, noting that the school with 65 students was founded in 2010 and had been struggling with challenges, including dysfunctional dormitories that have now been upgraded by the bank.

The bank has earlier renovated 6-room male and female toilets and installed a borehole for the Ikosi Primary School, a 500-hour project which the lender said was born out of the need to provide basic computer knowledge and education for the pupils, who ordinarily lacked good education because of dysfunctional educational platforms. Over 700 pupils benefited from the ICT facilities.

Supreme Court Judgement On Ondo Guber: PDP Crying More Than Bereaved – APC

By
Ayodele Oni
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0
Senator John Akpanudoedehe

By Ayodele Oni

Ruling All Progressive Congress,(APC) has said the opposition People’s Democratic Party,(PDP) has turned itself to interpreters of the law, instead of being humble in defeat.

APC, in its response to the barrage of criticisms of the Supreme Court judgement on Ondo Governorship election, pointed out that the PDP was crying more than the bereaved.

This was contained in a statement by the National Secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, (CECPC), Senator John Akpanudoedehe.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is an old, lonely, toothless and hungry Hyena wandering aimlessly in the jungle of political wilderness. Nigerians are fully aware of its antecedents and will never take it seriously no matter how much empty noise it makes.

“We note how arrogantly the PDP has become an interpreter of the laws of the nation by ignorant comments on the recent Supreme Court judgement which affirmed the election victory of the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu SAN and dismissed the PDP’s case on the grounds that it was incompetent.

“Instead of being humbled by that defeat, the PDP has turned itself into an alternate court by misrepresenting the decision of majority members of the Supreme Court that did not hinge its ruling on Section 183 of the 1999 constitution as the PDP labours to spin.

“Our position stands. It is not our intention to join issues with self-proclaimed interpreters of our laws which unsurprisingly now includes the PDP on the status of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC ) and its membership.

“The Apex Court ruling had no bearing on the validity or otherwise of the APC CECPC chaired by Governor Mai Mala Buni.

“While the PDP and their fellow travelers labour to sell their falsehoods, backed by solid legal guidiance, APC is on good grounds to conduct its Congresses leading to the National Convention.

“One asks, is the PDP now a Court of Law? It is a reflection of their propensity to hang on straws and murky thinking which shows that they should not be trusted with power again because they have no capacity to think clearly, talkless of running a country properly.

“The PDP is apparently using this baseless comments on the APC leadership to distract attention from its depleting fortunes and rudderless leadership which has led its members and leaders to abandon the failed opposition in droves for the APC which is providing Nigerians with purposeful leadership, rebuilding the nation and institutionalising the rule of law.

“That the Uche Secondus-led PDP leadership is currently grappling with a serious crisis of confidence among its members and leaders is no longer news.

“However, we offer free advice: imbibe internal democracy; have focus; shun corruption and be orderly in your conduct as a sign of repentance and atonement for wasting 16 years misgoverning our country.

“The APC’s internal democracy and progressive politics which has been deepened by the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led leadership of the APC CECPC has demonstrated its sterling organisational capability which led to credible ward Congresses.

“On the other hand, the PDP is so disorganised that it is unable to complete its abandoned national Secretariat.

“PDP has reached the end of its political road and Nigerians will never trust it again with the governance of this country.”

However, a number of APC members share PDP’s opinion on the Supreme Court judgment, including the Minister for State, Labour, Festus Keyamo who advised his party, the APC, to halt last Saturday’s Ward Congresses over the Supreme Court’s Ondo judgment.

NNPC’s 70 Pipelines vandalized, Earns N2trn

By
Bayo Bernard
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0
NNPC

By Fola James

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC has disclosed that it earned over N2 trillion from the sale of petroleum products within one year.

Within the same period, 70 Pipelines belonging to the government run oil firm were vandalized across the country.

This is contained in the March 2021 edition of the NNPC Monthly Financial and Operations Report, MFOR, according to a press release by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the Corporation, Kennie Obateru.

The report indicated that total revenues generated from the sales of white products for the period of March 2020 to March 2021 stood at ₦2.129trillion, where petrol contributed about 99.24 per cent of the total sales with a value of ₦2.113trllion.

In terms of volume, the above value translates to 1.75billion litres of white products sold and distributed by PPMC in the month of March 2021 compared to 1.4billion litres in the month of February 2021.
This volume is made up of 1.782billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and 0.45million litres of Automotive Gas Oil, AGO.
Total sale of white products for the period of March 2020 to March 2021 stood at 17.374billion litres and PMS accounted for 17.265billion litres or 99.37 per cent.
The corporation said it continues to diligently monitor the daily stock of PMS to achieve uninterrupted supply, effective distribution and zero fuel queue across Nigeria.
In the Gas Sector, a total of 222.74billion cubic feet (bcf) of natural gas was produced in the month March 2021 translating to an average daily production of 7,183.33million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd).
For the period of March 2020 to March 2021, a total of 2,911.62bcf of gas was produced representing an average daily production of 7,409.60mmscfd during the period.
Production from Joint Ventures (JVs), Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) and NPDC, the agency said contributed about 63.23 per cent, 19.78 per cent and 63.99 per cent respectively to the total national gas production.

In terms of natural gas off-take, commercialization and utilization, out of the 210.55bcf supplied in March 2021, a total of 138.38bcf was commercialized, consisting of 45.42bcf and 92.96bcf for the domestic and export market respectively.
This translates to a total supply of 1,465.42mmscfd of gas to the domestic market and 2,998.26mmscfd of gas supplied to the export market for the month.

This implies that 63.18 per cent of the average daily gas produced was commercialized while the balance of 36.82 per cent was re-injected, used as upstream fuel gas or flared.

Gas flare rate was 9.50 per cent for the month under review (i.e. 671.13mmscfd) compared to average gas flare rate of 7.25 per cent (i.e. 532.37mmscfd) for the period of March 2020 to March 2021.
On domestic gas supply to the power sector, a total of 844mmscfd was delivered to gas-fired power plants in the month of March 2021 to generate about 3,530mega watts (mw) compared with February 2021 where 825mmscfd was supplied to generate 3,580mw.

The report also indicate that the Corporation recorded 70 vandalized points across its pipeline network in the period under review, representing 29.63 per cent increase from the 54 points recorded in the previous month, as the Port Harcourt area accounted for the highest with 63 per cent of the vandalized points.

The Mosimi area accounted for 21 per cent and the Gombe area accounted for the remaining 16 per cent, the agency said.

APC Ward Congress, Violence, Killings Avoidable – PDP

By
Ayodele Oni
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0

By Ayodele Oni

As the ruling All Progressive Congress, (APC), flagged off its congresses at ward level on Saturday, the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) has described it as a sham and a nullity.

The PDP, while reacting to the gale of alleged violence and killings in some states, said President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Caretaker Committee Chairman, of the party, Governor Mai Mala Buni, should be held responsible.

The PDP, in a statement by its spokesman, Mr Kola Ologbodiyan, stated that “the Ward Congress conducted by the incapacitated All Progressives Congress (APC) amounts to a nullity, given the pronouncement of the Supreme Court, which invalidates the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led National Executive.

“The PDP strongly vilifies Governor Buni and other APC leaders for deceiving innocent Nigerians and cajoling them to participate in the needless exercise, which ended in violent crisis and avoidable deaths, when they know it was all in futility.

“It is indeed callous that the leaders of the APC, despite knowing that any process conducted by the Buni-led national executive, whose legal status, in the face of section 183 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 17(4) of the APC constitution, has been queried by the Supreme Court, could extort from their innocent followers and subject them to a fraudulent exercise that is a nullity.

“While Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) bars a sitting governor from holding any other office while serving as state governor, Article 17(4) of the APC constitution clearly states that “no officer in any organ of the party shall hold executive position office in government concurrently”.

“The implication is that with Mai Buni as Chairman, the APC has no valid national executive and as such any congress or any other statutory process conducted by the APC under this circumstance remains a nullity.

“Our party, therefore, counsels those who participated in the ridiculous drama called APC ward congress to know that they have been viciously scammed.

“They should not worsen their situation by allowing the deceptive APC leaders to further set them against one another in bloody clashes for a party that has technically gone defunct.

“The PDP cautions other members of the fizzling APC, who are being cajoled to participate in the local government and state congresses to be circumspect so that they do not suffer needless loss, scam and harm in an exercise that is certainly going to end in futility.

“The situation in the APC is symptomatic of the disgraceful end of a political contraption that was set up and operated on the basis of lies, deceit, falsehood, violence, disrespect for Nigerians and utter disregard to rules.

“That is why the APC, as a party, as well as its government at all levels are plagued by crisis, confusion and endless bloodletting.

“The PDP cautions Nigerians to be wary of their dealings with APC as it has put itself in a situation where it cannot legally stand for election or statutorily participated in our national electoral process.”

The APC held its Ward Congresses on Saturday, July 31. A number of people, including the Minister for State, Labour, Festus Keyamo, had in an advisory letter, asked the Party to halt the Congresses, based on the Supreme Court’s pronouncement on Thursday,  which declared, not in many words, the Governor Buni-led Caretaker Committee illegal.

Electoral Act: National Assembly Toying with Future Of Democracy In Nigeria – Fayose

By
Ayodele Oni
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0

By Ayodele Oni

The manner the National Assembly handles the issue of the Electoral Act will determine the future of democracy in Nigeria, former Governor of Ekiti state, Mr Ayo Fayose, has said.

Mr Fayose, also, advised the National Assembly to critically study the issues of electronic transmission of results during general elections and imposition of any particular method of conducting primaries on political parties, as contained in the amendment.

Mr Fayose said in a statement on Sunday that the two issues should be accorded a second look by the Lawmakers in the interest of Nigerians.

Mr Fayose cautioned the Lawmakers against seeing the amendment of the electoral act as personal to them and their political future, saying those in the National Assembly now might be at the receiving end of whatever they do or fail to do.

“If the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is saying that it can transmit results electronically anywhere in Nigeria, what then is the NASS afraid of?

“Why is the NASS presenting itself before Nigerians as a clog in the wheel of free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria?

“Most importantly, if Point Of Sale (POS) machine is being used for financial transactions everywhere in the country, why can’t we also have an electoral process in which voters will be accredited strictly with card readers and results will be transmitted electronically from the polling units?”

“The NASS should not turn political party into appendages of INEC; telling political parties how to conduct their primary elections to pick their candidates by stipulating who among members of the parties can elect candidates amounts to taking over the powers of the parties to run their affairs.”

According to him, political parties are founded on different ideologies and beliefs, saying it should be the duty of the parties to conduct their affairs in strict compliance with their constitutions.

The former governor further advised that political parties should be allowed to decide whether to use the direct or indirect methods of conducting primaries, as well as those who should vote in such primaries.

“The NASS members should not allow their interest to drag the country democracy into a hitch because if care is not taken, we will be having many court cases in our hands concerning the electoral act, thereby putting the 2023 general elections in jeopardy.

“We are already in economic crisis, the NASS should be mindful of creating another political crisis by using their position for self-preservation instead of serving the interest of Nigeria and its people.

“The NASS should also avoid playing into the hands of the president, bearing in mind that the same President refused to sign amendments to the electoral act in the past.”

Not a few Nigerians were upset that the Senate did not vote for the transmission  of election results electronically. The Bill was defeated by 58 votes to 28.

28 Senators were absent, forcing their constituents to query them.

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